McGregor’s best knockouts ahead of Diaz encounter at UFC 196

McGregor’s best UFC stoppages

After witnessing his previously scheduled opponent Rafael dos Anjos pull out with an injury, featherweight world champion Conor McGregor is now preparing to take on stand-in rival Nate Diaz at welterweight during UFC 196’s main event.

This upcoming weekend, in the early hours of Sunday morning on BT Sport 2, the Irishman will come face-to-face with American Diaz at 170 pounds, making a huge jump up from featherweight, and ahead of his latest encounter in Las Vegas, Coral bring you the best knockouts from the ‘Notorious’. Enjoy.

Mike Wood, March 2011

In only his eighth ever professional MMA fight, McGregor was already showcasing his credentials, and overcame Wood in just 16 seconds of the first bell at a Cage Contender event in Dublin.

Paddy Doherty, April 2011

Incredibly, McGregor’s 13-second demolition of Jose Aldo last year wasn’t his fastest ever stoppage, having earned an even swifter finish back in 2011.

Within just FOUR seconds of his Immortal Fighting Championship contest with Doherty, ‘the Notorious’ emphatically knocks out his compatriot with an identical shot to that which sent Aldo crashing to the canvas.

Marcus Brimage, April 2013

In McGregor’s first appearance on the UFC, the clinical Irishman holds strong to withstand an abundance of rash attacks from Brimage, before delivering a series of uppercuts which downed his opponent leading to a devastating stoppage.

Dustin Poirier, September 2014

After dispatching Diego Brandao in the first round in July 2014, the last time McGregor fought in his native Dublin, the 27-year-old went on to end Poirier’s night in similar circumstances.

‘The Notorious’ sent his foe crashing to the floor with that reliant left hand before the referee intervened to halt a brutal ground and pound, giving him one of four opening round UFC stoppages so far in his career.

Chad Mendes, July 2015

When previous Brazilian rival Aldo withdrew from their anticipated match-up for the featherweight title, McGregor was thrust into a meeting with American grappler Mendes, but prevailed in typically ruthless fashion anyway.

Having resisted Mendes’ constant wrestling manoeuvres and avoided being taken out on the deck, McGregor pounced with only seconds remaining in the second round to clinch the interim featherweight title, after another stunning left handed shot.

Jose Aldo, December 2015

The one that will go down in McGregor’s legacy as his most famous stoppage, earning himself a similarly engrossing sporting moment to that of Muhammad Ali’s early KO of Sonny Liston back in 1965.

Exactly 50 years on from Ali’s famous first-round heroics, McGregor ended his high-profile contest with Brazilian Aldo in similar style, but much quicker, sensationally stopping the long-standing champion in just 13 seconds with a wicked straight left.